Muhlocker Claims Barcelona High Roller
Tuesday, 10 September 2013
After Tom Middleton took the Main Event and Vitaly Lunkin the Super High Roller the third major title of EPT Barcelona has been poached by Thomas Muhlocker.
The Austrian outlasted 138 players (42 of whom re-entered) to pocket a High Roller first prize of just north of €390,000. As you'd expect from a €10,000 buy-in event there was plenty of class on show and that was evident at a final table that featured this year's WSOP November Niner David Benefield, German high stakes pro Ole Schemion and former World Champion Jonathan Duhamel.
Also at the final table was none other than Daniel Negreanu whose decision to re-enter following his controversial initial departure proved to be a wise one.
Holding a 7.7 million to 1.3 million chip lead it looked like Negreanu was going to complete an amazing victory following his early exit. Holding aces and then nines, Muhlocker doubled up twice though with the Canadian holding pocket fours on both occasions. The end came soon after with Negreanu's AQ crushed by the Austrian's AK. A KhTc9h board gave Negreanu straight and backdoor flush possibilities but blanks on the turn and river sent the title, the first prize cash and a swanky Slyde watch to Muhlocker.
The final table positions and payouts were as follows:
1. Thomas Muhlocker, Austria, €390,700
2. Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu, Canada, €263,800
3. Jean-Noel Thorel, France, €181,500
4. Joni Jouhkimainen, €148,000
5. Team PokerStars Pro Jonathan Duhamel, Canada, €118,000
6. Ole Schemion, Germany, €90,700
7. Richard Yong, United States, €66,000
8. David Benefield, United States, €47,850
The EPT heads to Blighty for its next stop with the Grand Connaught Rooms the venue for EPT London. The series runs from 2-12 October with the £5,000 Main Event starting on Sunday 6 October. Qualifiers are up and running at PokerStars where new players can earn a 100% bonus of up to $400 on their first three deposits as well as entry into freerolls worth $50,000. Sign up via BluffEurope.